An addiction exists when our body or mind becomes so accustomed to the presence of a drug, that it will not function properly or will have an adverse reaction if the drug is withdrawn. Not all drug users become addicted and not all drugs are illegal. Alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco are legalized drugs that may or may not become an addiction problem for those who use them.
Addiction is defined by tolerance, withdrawal, and craving. We recognize addiction by a person's heightened and habituated need for a substance; by the intense suffering that results from discontinuation of its use; and by the person's willingness to sacrifice all (to the point of self-destructiveness) for drug taking.
Addiction, at its extreme, is an overwhelming pathological involvement: the object of addiction is the addicted person's experience of the combined physical, emotional, and environmental elements that make up the involvement for that person. Addiction is often characterized by a traumatic withdrawal reaction to the deprivation of this state or experience. Tolerance – or the increasingly high level of need for the experience – and craving are measured by how willing the person is to sacrifice other rewards or sources of well-being in life to the pursuit of the involvement. The key to addiction, seen in this light, is its persistence in the face of harmful consequences for the individual.
There are numerous determining factors for how long drug toxins stay in a person's body which vary from person to person, such as the analytical method used, your health, your body weight, metabolism, fluid intake, the type of toxin, and the degree of exposure to the toxin.
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, one of nearly 400 chemicals in a hemp plant, accounts for most of marijuana's psychoactive, or mind-altering, effects. The strength of the drug is determined by the amount of THC it contains which varies from plant to plant.
Most researchers believe that addictions are centered around the effect that addictive drugs have on dopamine levels in the brain. Addictive drugs, which generally have numerous other dangerous side-effects, also elevate the levels of dopamine in our brain. Our body then continues to crave these feelings and this may account for the repetition inherent in addictive behavior.
The more drugs like alcohol, nicotine, marijuana, cocaine, and amphetamines are used to enhance mood, the more they are craved for continued mood enhancement until they become an addiction. Additionally, anything that people do a lot of they tend to develop an enjoyment for. This includes addictions or obsessions to potentially negative behaviors, such as sex, pain, criminal activity, etc. that produce increased levels of dopamine for "feel good" rushes.
Researchers believe that heredity may be increase the susceptibility to addiction. Research has found that children of alcoholics or a family history of alcoholism are 400 times more likely to use drugs and have a drug addiction.
Considerations for Rehabilitation and Quitting Drug Use
There seems to be no single treatment that will help all people. Thus the treatment may need to be tailored for the individual.
To minimize withdrawal symptoms it is often recommended that drugs be eliminated gradually over a period of four weeks or longer. For serious drug addictions hospitalization and or professional help.
Many rehabilitation programs focus on body detoxification and elimination as it is thought that drug residue remaining in the body increases the desire for reuse.
Often heat therapy, detoxifying and nutritional supplementation, and other drugs that enhance dopamine production and levels without the serious side effects of the drug addiction will enhance the recovery process.
Important Lifestyle Changes for Drug Detoxification and Recovery
Supplements that Support Drug Rehabilitation, Recovery and Drug Detox
The amount of pleasure created by addictive substances is so strong that in many cases even after years of abstinence, there are mental and physical triggers that may cause a person to relapse into use. Research has shown that long-term drug abuse and addictions result in changes in brain chemistry that may persist for years after the individual stops using the drug.
Our bodies have a natural tendency toward reduced reaction to foreign substances, and over time this phenomenon increases the quantity of a drug required to produce the same physical and mental pleasure. Thus addicts must increase the quantity of drug they are using to get the same feelings of euphoria and mood enhancement. In many cases the need for such a large quantity of the addictive drug will cause a drug overdose, often killing the user.
Nutritional treatment for drug and alcohol users will depend on the results of a test for blood histamine levels. In one series of such analysis, all users proved to have high histamine levels, leading the scientist to conclude that this abnormality – with its impact on brain function – is a major force in creating addiction. [Nutrition Guide for the Prevention and Cure of Common Ailments and Diseases, Carlton Fredericks, PhD. p.58]
A craving for cigarettes and/or drugs is a possible symptom of hypoglycemia.
Drug abuse – in particular cocaine use – is a predisposing factor for having nervous breakdowns.
Fasting makes it easier to overcome bad habits and addictions. Many people have overcome tobacco and alcohol cravings, and even drug addictions, by fasting.
TMG or SAMe may be especially useful in treating depression associated with drug withdrawal.
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